Not So Epic
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Ressurection stone!AU. Harry learns he has been deceived after his parents come back from the dead.


**Written For:**

 **Quidditch Fanfiction League Competition:** Round 7  
Captain - Write a story inspired by the movie The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). **(I chose to do a resurrection stone!AU)**

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry:** Gardening  
Task 11 - Write about deception

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Garage Sale Competition  
Prompt - book

 **Not So Epic**

XX

Hermione gasped at the two figures standing next to her best friend. "What did you do?"

Harry shrugged, a happy smile gracing his once drawn face.

"Harry, what did you do?" Hermione asked once again, her heart hammering a harsh beat in her chest.

Harry frowned, realizing Hermione was judging him. "I used the resurrection stone to bring my parents back. I thought you would be happy for me."

She quickly shook her head. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Why?"

"Oh, Harry, them being taken away from you wasn't fair, but what's dead should remain dead."

"My mum and dad are back. Can't you just be happy for me?"

Harry turned back to his parents. "Mum, Dad, I have _so_ much to tell you about."

Hermione watched the trio walk away. She didn't like this. James and Lily Potter being alive was a mistake. They didn't belong in the land of the living.

She just hoped her best friend didn't get his heart broken,

X

Hermione hadn't seen Harry in a couple of weeks, so when the Floo activated and spat him into her flat, to say she was surprised was an understatement.

Hermione knew Harry was angry at her for not playing the role of the supportive best friend, but she was never one to keep her feelings to herself.

"Hey," she murmured, putting her book face down on her lap.

"Hi," Harry said, his gaze moving around the room, avoiding looking at her.

"Everything alright?"

"My parents are fine!" Harry stated defensively.

Hermione arched an eyebrow, silently waiting for him to say what he had to say.

Harry's shoulders slumped. "Something isn't right," he quietly admitted after the silence stretched too long.

Hermione leaned forward to put her book on the coffee table and then sat up straighter, her worry for Harry's well-being becoming her focus. "What do you mean not right? Did they hurt you?" she asked, her fingers itching for her wand at the mere thought of Harry being injured.

Harry quickly shook his head. "No, nothing like that."

"But something _is_ wrong?" Hermione knowingly asked, standing up and approaching the nervous Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry shrugged helplessly. "I can't really explain it. I always thought they'd be affectionate. When I thought about them, I imagined they'd constantly touch each other, hug, maybe kiss. It's like there's always 10 feet between them, though. Like they don't want to be near each other, and they'll do whatever they have to do to avoid touching. I don't know why, though."

"Have you tried asking them?" Hermione asked, relaxing her stance once she realized Harry wasn't in any kind of danger. Or at least he wasn't in _physical_ danger.

"Of course. Dad gets twitchy and nervous like you do when you try to lie to me. And Mum makes an excuse to leave the room."

Hermione's eyes softened. "Oh, Harry."

"Something isn't right between them."

Hermione nodded. She had always secretly thought Sirius and Remus might have embellished the story of the great love between James and Lily Potter. Unfortunately, Harry might be just now beginning to realize that as well.

X

It was nearly a month since Harry came to her with his suspicion that Hermione saw James and Lily again.

It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to study their mannerisms earlier, especially after what Harry said, but she didn't want to intrude.

She finally saw them at a big Weasley family gathering, and she watched them. She watched their stilted interactions. They were almost formal with the way they talked to each other. And when it came time for dinner, James sat on one end of the table, and Lily sat at the other end, as far away from each other they could get.

Harry and Hermione shared a look.

 _'See what I mean?'_ his eyes silently asked.

Hermione imperceptibly nodded. She did see. They didn't act like a couple madly in love. It could be construed as them still recovering after being dead, but Hermione had an inkling that wasn't it.

Harry needed the truth, and she would help him get it.

X

James smiled kindly at Hermione when she came to their house in Godric's Hollow for dinner at Harry's invitation. "I'm glad my son had you in his life. I'm sure you kept him out of trouble."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Merlin himself couldn't keep Harry out of trouble. Harry is a trouble magnet."

" _But_ Hermione kept me alive. I don't know where I'd be without her," Harry grinned slightly, remembering some of the harrowing events that transpired during their school years.

Lily looked at Harry with adoration in her eyes. "Well, then we're still glad that he had you, Hermione."

Hermione was glad to see that James and Lily might have issues with each other, but their love for Harry was easy to recognize. She took a deep breath. "Thanks, but enough about me. What about you two? And please, for the first time since you've been back, can you be honest?"

Harry elbowed her lightly. "Hermione is always blunt, but I do want to know the truth. Please, you don't act like I thought you would. When Sirius and Remus talked about you two…"

She knew the truth would hurt Harry, but she was glad to see he wasn't hiding from it and wanted to stop being kept in the dark.

James avoided Lily's eyes. "We got married so quickly. There was a war. Everyone was scared and pairing off. It might seem stupid to get married and have children in the middle of a war, with danger lurking at every corner, but that's what happened. I was infatuated with Lily for so long. I thought it was love. I wanted it to be love."

"James loved the idea of me more than he loved me. He loved the thrill of the chase, the challenge I gave him. Once I gave in, his infatuation dimmed. And I…"

"You never loved Dad?" Harry quietly asked.

"I wanted to, and I thought I did. My first love though was Severus. If he hadn't said that horrible word, I know I would have ended up with him, and despite my anger and hurt, I don't think I ever truly stopped loving him. I settled for James because he was a knight in shining armor. I wasn't a damsel in distress, but I liked the thought of being rescued I guess."

James swallowed. "We were going to get a divorce, but…"

"But Lily got pregnant," Hermione finished, already knowing why they stayed together.

"And then there was a prophecy," Lily continued, and we knew we had to stay together. We might not love each other, but we loved our son, _you_ Harry, and we'd do everything we could to protect him."

"Sirius and Remus lied to me," Harry murmured, betrayal lacing through his voice as he stared at his hands.

"They never thought we'd come back from the dead, and they didn't want to taint the picture perfect image you had of us. They did it to protect you," James defended his best friends.

"They still lied," Harry growled.

"Dumbledore lied to Harry a lot, and he was always told it was in his best interests. Harry really hates deception," Hermione explained.

James lifted his hand. "Harry, I'm so sorry we're not what you wanted,"

Harry closed his eyes. "You were right, Hermione. What's dead should stay dead."

Lily gasped.

"Harry," Hermione reprimanded. "I know what I said, but they can't help that they don't love each other. They still love you, and the only reason they hadn't said anything until now was because they were protecting you from the truth."

"I'm sick of everyone trying to _protect me_. I fought in a war. I don't need everyone to shelter me from the truth. Try being honest!" Harry yelled, emerald eyes flashing with emotion.

Lily nodded. "We love you, Harry, but James and I do not love each other. And we are planning to legally get a divorce."

"We'll never stop loving you, though," James added.

Harry stood up and left the table, and then the house. Hermione smiled apologetically before she followed her easy-to-anger friend out of the house. She caught up to him. "You okay?"

"At least now I know."

"They may not want to be married to each other, but they're still your parents. And them being happy apart is better than them being miserable together, right?"

Harry sighed. "I guess, but when I brought them back, the last thing I thought I'd have to deal with is my parents divorcing."

"One never knows what life is going to throw at them," Hermione wisely said.

"Yeah, and I wish Sirius and Remus were alive so I could yell at them for lying to me about the epic love story of James and Lily Potter."

"Their hearts were in the right place."

Harry rested his head on Hermione's shoulder. "Thanks for helping me finally learn the truth."

"Anytime."

Harry might not be at peace right this moment, but he'd heal. Hermione would help him heal.

XX

(word count: 1,519)


End file.
